Along the Iiyama Line flows the Chikuma-gawa River (Shinano-gawa River), and along the river lie village woods, fields and country homes.

This train was created around this concept of rustic Japan and bringing people to home villages, where the true heart of the Japanese people resides. Gazing at the rice paddies fading into the distance, passengers feel a sense of calm and healing. To help bring home the image of the home village, with its scenic rice paddies, rivers and mountains, this train was named Oykot, which is "Tokyo" spelled backwards. In Japanese, the name is written in hiragana as "Oikotto" (おいこっと).